Multiple side-feeding aerosol valve assembly

ABSTRACT

A valve assembly is disclosed for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying viscous materials or materials with large particulates with increased atomization and without clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray cans designed for spraying texture materials. The valve opening may be located at substantially any point between the bottom and the top of the container. The valve assembly may include a plurality of side-fitting dip tubes, a side-feeding mechanism, a side release tube and at least one storage member connected, respectively, to at least one of the dip tubes, whereby texture material is dispensed when a central channel is aligned with a side conduit that is in flow communication with the dip tubes.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 10/832,126, filedon Apr. 26, 2004, which is a Continuation-in-part of Ser. No.10/174,264, filed Jun. 18, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,066, which is aContinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/760,990, filed Jan. 16, 2001, nowU.S. Pat. No. 6,415,964, which is a Continuation-in-part of Ser. No.09/656,247, filed Sep. 5, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,474, which is aContinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/312,133, filed May 14, 1999, nowU.S. Pat. No. 6,112,945.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to valve assemblies for use in an aerosol spraycan that is capable of spraying viscous materials or materials withlarge particulates with increased atomization and without clogging orpacking like traditional aerosol spray cans designed for sprayingtexture materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The practice of dispensing heavy and particulate materials throughtraditional aerosol spray can valve assemblies in the aerosol industryhas presented problems in which the heavy and particulate materials tobe dispensed clog up the valve assemblies. These heavy and particulatematerials may include exterior stucco, heavy sand finishes, drywall andacoustic ceiling patching materials, fire suppressant materials,adhesive and bonding materials, and even culinary sauces.

A traditional aerosol spray can may be filled with these heavy andparticulate materials for spraying. In the traditional aerosol spraycan, the material to be dispensed must pass through an orifice that isnormally sealed off (with a seal or gasket, e.g.) in the unactuatedposition. When the actuator is depressed, the orifice is exposed toallow the material to pass through. However, when heavy and particulatematerials are used, they tend to clog up the valve assemblies (e.g., byclogging up or sticking to the seal, the orifice, and/or the areatherebetween) and render the aerosol spray cans inoperative. Constantoperation of these aerosol spray cans in spraying heavy and particulatematerials is not possible due to the inconsistent ability of thesetraditional valve assemblies to dispense these materials withoutclogging.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,975, issued to Stern et al., discloses an aerosolspray texturing device that is comprised of a container, a nozzle, avalve assembly, and an outlet. The valve assembly in the '975 patent islocated in the upper section of the container near the nozzle. Althoughthe nozzle tube of the device in the '975 patent may be configured tospray texture materials, the device in the '975 patent still has theproblem of clogging or packing of the valve assembly by the particulatescontained in the texture material for spraying, especially if theparticulates are large, like those found in stucco or other heavy andparticulate materials mentioned above.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,011, issued to the present Applicant, discloses aspray apparatus for spraying a texture material through a nozzle.Although sufficient for its intended purpose, this apparatus also cannotspray texture materials having large particulates, such as stucco,because the particulates clog up the valve opening within the sprayapparatus.

Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide an apparatus thatmay be used to readily apply heavy and particulate materials in aerosolform, such as exterior stucco, heavy sand finishes, drywall and acousticceiling patching materials, fire suppressant materials, adhesive andbonding materials, and culinary sauces. Furthermore, the heavy andparticulate materials to be applied should be contained in a hand-heldapplicator so that the materials may be conveniently stored, as well asdispensed, in a simple and convenient manner without clogging or packingthe valve assembly of the applicator.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a valveassembly for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying viscousmaterials or materials with large particulates without clogging orpacking like traditional aerosol spray cans designed for sprayingtexture materials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive andeconomical means for matching surface texture of a repaired or patchedsurface area on a drywall panel, acoustic ceiling, or stucco-coveredsurface.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the appearance ofpatched or repaired areas on a textured surface by employing a spray-onhardenable texture material that covers the repaired or patched area andvisually assumes the surface texture of the surrounding patched orrepaired surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand-helddispensing unit containing a pressurized texture surface material forspray-on and direct application of the material in a liquid orsemi-liquid form onto a repaired or patched area so that the surroundingpatched or repaired surface will be visually and mechanically matched.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve assemblyfor use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying highly-viscousmaterials, such as fire suppressant materials, adhesive and bondingmaterials, and culinary sauces, as well as colored agents, resins,catalysts, blowing agent, urethane-type products, and the like,including the ability to spray two different materials from a singlecan, without clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray canswhen spraying these materials.

One embodiment of the valve assembly comprises a dip tube disposedinside a container. A rod is disposed inside the dip tube so that it maymove lengthwise within the dip tube. A sealing member is coupled to thebottom end of the rod, so as to form a tight-seal with the bottomopening of the dip tube when the rod is in an up position, and itexposes the bottom opening of the dip tube to the heavy and particulatematerial inside the container when the rod is in a down position. Abushing is also coupled to the top opening of the dip tube. Finally, anactuator is coupled to the top end of the rod and the bushing, allowingthe user to depress the actuator, thus lowering the rod to its downposition and exposing the bottom opening of the dip tube to the materialwithin the container, and allowing the heavy and particulate material tomove up the dip tube and out of the container.

Another embodiment of the valve assembly comprises a dip tube disposedinside the container. An interior tube is disposed inside the dip tubeso that it may move lengthwise within the dip tube. There is at leastone orifice at the bottom end of the interior tube. A top O-ring iscoupled to the interior tube adjacent the at least one orifice toprevent any bypass of the heavy and particulate material into the diptube, and a bottom O-ring is coupled to the bottom end of the interiortube to seal off the valve assembly when not actuated. The top openingof the dip tube is coupled to a bushing. Finally, an actuator is coupledto the top end of the interior tube, allowing the user to depress on theactuator, thus lowering the interior tube to its down position andexposing the at least one orifice on the interior tube to the materialinside the container and allowing the heavy and particulate material toflow up the interior tube and out of the container.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, a valve assembly isdescribed wherein the valve opening may be located at substantially anypoint between the bottom and the top of the container. The valveassembly includes a side-fitting dip tube and a side-feeding mechanism,whereby texture material is dispensed when a central channel is alignedwith a side conduit that is in flow communication with the dip tube. Thevalve assembly also includes a guiding mechanism to ensure alignment ofthe central channel and the side conduit in the actuated position. Theembodiment just described provides for a much simpler and fasterassembly, as well as a reduction in the amount of gas that is lost. Inaddition, placement of the dip tube on the side (within the container)eliminates the need to build different sizes of valve assemblies to fita range of container sizes. Thus, a single size of the valve assemblymay be produced and dip tubes of various lengths may be used to fit theintended container size. As such, this embodiment also provides areduction in size and costs associated with the use of multiplecontainer sizes.

In another embodiment of the invention, the valve assembly describedimmediately above includes two or more side-fitting dip tubes, whereinone of the tubes extends towards the bottom of the container and is indirect contact with the material housed within the container (asdescribed above). Each one of the one or more additional dip tubes, onthe other hand, is connected to a storage member, such as a sack or apouch, which, in turn, is housed within the container. In this way, whenthe actuating mechanism is activated, a first material (or fraction ofmaterial) is drawn through the first dip tube, and a second material (orsecond fraction of the same material) is drawn through the second diptube, thereby allowing two different materials (or fractions ofmaterial) to be sprayed from a single container. When more than two diptubes are present, the aerosol container may be used to spray as manydifferent materials (or fractions of materials) from a single containeras there are dip tubes by connecting each additional dip tube to aseparate storage member within the container.

The invention prevents clogging or packing of the valve assembly byeliminating the need for a seal or gasket which, as was described above,is required in traditional aerosol spray cans. However, the eliminationof the gasket, without more, would simply allow the contents near thetop of the container to leave. That is, provisions must be made toensure that the entire contents of the container can be dispensed. Tothis end, in embodiments of the present invention, the valve opening maybe at the bottom of the container, as opposed to being at the top, as intraditional aerosol spray cans. In other embodiments, the valve assemblymay still be placed near the top of the container, with a dip tube thatreceives sprayable material from the bottom of the container and feedsthe material through a side conduit and an angled channel. The placementof the valve opening as described with respect to the embodiments hereingreatly reduces the clogging or packing of the valve by texturematerials having large particulates. This improvement allows theefficient and low-cost spraying of more highly-textured materials,because there is no longer the problem of clogging or packing of thevalve opening by the particulates suspended within the texture material.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the valve assemblyincludes a side release tube which is attached to the actuator. The siderelease tube is disposed partly inside the container and may be parallelwith the dip tube. The side release tube extends through the top of thecontainer and continues externally to the actuator. The side releasetube provides a pathway for gas in the container to reach and exit fromthe actuator. When the actuator is depressed, the sprayable material isreleased at the same time that the gas is released, separate from thesprayable material, through the side release tube. The additional gashits the sprayable material as the material exits the actuator and thusprovides an added level atomization to the dispensed material.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings that illustrate, by way of example, variousfeatures and embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in a closed position inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in a closedposition in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of a portion of a valveassembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in an openedposition in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in an opened positionin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a valve assembly in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the valve assembly depicted in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14A is a side cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in anunactuated position in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 14B is a rear cross-sectional view of the valve assembly depictedin FIG. 14A;

FIG. 14C is a top cross-sectional view of the valve assembly depicted inFIG. 14A;

FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in an actuatedposition in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15B is an enlarged view of the top portion of the valve assemblyshown in FIG. 15A;

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of a lower housing according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16B is a perspective view of a lower housing according to anotherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in an actuatedposition in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly including a siderelease tube according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 3 are perspective views of a valve assembly in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention. A dip tube 1 is coupled toa bushing 4, which may also be coupled to a cup 5. An actuator 6 is alsocoupled to the bushing 4.

In FIGS. 2 and 4, an aperture on the actuator 6 forms a nozzle opening7, in which a dispersing apparatus, such as a nozzle cap or a dispensingtube, may be attached or screwed. A rod 2 is disposed inside the diptube 1 in a way that allows the rod 2 to move within the dip tube 1along its length. The actuator 6 is coupled to the top end of the rod 2,so that when the actuator 6 is depressed, the rod 2 moves downwardwithin the dip tube 1. A sealing member 3 is coupled to the bottom endof the rod 2, so that when the rod 2 is in an up position, i.e., theactuator 6 is not depressed, the sealing member 3 forms a tight-sealwith the bottom opening of the dip tube 1. However, when the rod 2 is ina down position, i.e., the actuator 6 is depressed, the sealing member 3exposes the bottom opening of the dip tube 1 to the heavy andparticulate material inside the container, and the aerosol within thecontainer will force the texture material through the bottom opening ofthe dip tube 1, up through the dip tube 1, and out of the containerthrough the nozzle opening 7. The heavy and particulate material may bea variety of sprayable materials, including viscous materials ormaterials having large particulates, like that of stucco.

The cup 5 acts as a guide to limit how far down the actuator 6 may bedepressed, and in turn how far down the rod 2 may travel within the diptube 1. If the actuator 6 is depressed too far, the bottom end of therod 2 may come in contact with the bottom surface of the container,which may result in damage to the container. The cup 5 is also adaptedto fit securely over the top portion of an aerosol spray can and mayalso provide a surface for attaching the valve assembly to the aerosolspray can.

The placement of the valve opening at the bottom of the container, asopposed to near the top of the container, as described in the priorreferences, drastically reduces the clogging and packing of the valveopening as experienced by traditional aerosol spray cans when sprayingtexture materials containing large particulates, such as stucco. Furtherdescription of an example of a heavy and particulate material isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,393, entitled, “Hardenable TextureMaterial in Aerosol Form,” incorporated herein by reference. In additionto being capable of spraying stucco-like materials, the valve assemblyis also particularly useful in spraying other types of materials havinglarge particulates or high viscosities, including fire suppressantmaterials. These materials having large particulates or high viscositiesmay be dispensed directly from the valve system of an aerosol dispensingcontainer. The aerosol dispensing container is preferably a size thatallows it to be hand held and may be operated with one hand.

Ideally, the actuator 6 is made out of an elastic material, such asrubber, so as to allow the retention of the rod 2 in the up positionwhen the actuator 6 is not depressed. The actuator 6 may also be made ofa non-elastic material, but there may be a resilient member, such as aspring, coupled to the bushing 4 and engaging the actuator 6 so as tospring-load the actuator 6. The sealing member 3 should be made of amaterial, such as rubber, that will allow the sealing member 3 to form atight-seal with the bottom opening of the dip tube 1 so as to preventany entry of the texture material and the aerosol carrier into the diptube 1 when the rod 2 is in the up position, i.e., when the actuator 6is not being depressed.

FIGS. 5 to 9 show another embodiment of the present invention. A diptube 1 is coupled to a bushing 4, which may also be coupled to a cup 5.A spring member 9 may be coupled to the bushing 4 to spring-load theactuator 6 engaging the spring member 9 on the bushing 4.

An interior tube 10 with a top end and a bottom end is disposed insidethe dip tube 1 in a way that allows the interior tube 10 to move withinthe dip tube 1 along its length. The actuator 6 is coupled to the topend of the interior tube 10, so that when the actuator 6 is depressed,the interior tube 10 moves downward within the dip tube 1. There is atleast one orifice 13 at the bottom end of the interior tube 10 so as toallow the heavy and particulate material from inside the container toflow up through the interior tube 10 and out of the nozzle opening. Atop O-ring 11 is coupled to the interior tube 10 adjacent to and justabove the at least one orifice 13 so as to form a seal to prevent anybypass of the heavy and particulate material from the container into thedip tube 1 when the interior tube 10 is in a down position. A bottomO-ring 12 is coupled to the bottom end of the interior tube 10 so as toseal off and close the valve assembly when the interior tube 10 is in anup position.

As described above, the cup 5 may act as a guide so as to limit how fardown the actuator 6 may be depressed, as well as provide a surface forattaching the valve assembly to the container.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of a portion of a valveassembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Asmay be seen in FIG. 7B, when orifice 13 is aligned with orifice 14, anopening is created.

FIG. 10 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. There isat least one exterior orifice 14 on the dip tube 1 that is adapted to bein flow alignment with the at least one orifice 13 of the interior tube10. Therefore, when the actuator 6 is depressed and the interior tube 10is lowered to its open position, the at least one orifice 13 of theinterior tube 10 aligns with the at least one orifice 14 on the dip tube1 so that the material inside the container 17 may flow through theexterior orifice 14 and into the at least one orifice 13 of the interiortube 10 and up through the interior tube 10 and out of the containerthrough the nozzle opening 7. Similarly, there is a top O-ring 11 and abottom O-ring 12, as described above, for sealing off the dip tube 1 toprevent any bypass of the heavy and particulate material from thecontainer and for closing the valve assembly.

FIG. 11 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment, a resilient member 16, shown here as a spring, is located atthe bottom of the container 17. One end of the resilient member 16 isadjacent to the bottom of the container. The resilient member 16 may beattached to, or may abut, the bottom of the container 17. The second endof the resilient member 16 may be attached to, or may abut, the innertube 10. This resilient member 16 will serve to spring-load the actuatorand will prevent the inner tube 10 from remaining in its loweredposition beyond the time required by the user. The resilient member 16may also serve as a type of anchor or stabilizer for the inner tube 10and dip tube 1. This will help to prevent any movement of the inner tube10 and dip tube 1 that may cause a leakage where the inner tube 10 andthe dip tube 1 meet the top of the container 17. While FIG. 11 shows theresilient member 16 being used with the embodiment of the presentinvention that has a inner tube 10 and a dip tube 1, it should beunderstood that the spring could be used with any embodiment of thepresent invention to center the tube extending into the container, toprovide support to the tube in the container, and to push the tube backtowards the top of the can and spring-load the actuator.

The resilient member 16 is depicted in FIG. 11 as a coil or spring.However, it should be understood by one skilled in the art that thisresilient member may be made from a rubber cylinder, a metal coil or anyother means as are known in the art.

FIGS. 12-15 show another embodiment of the present invention. A valveassembly 100 includes an upper housing 102 and a lower housing 104. Thelower housing 104 is divided into a vertical passageway 114 and avertical compartment 116. The upper housing 102 may be generallycylindrical and includes a transverse opening 106 through the wall ofthe housing. The upper housing 102 also includes a side conduit 108where, at one end 112, it is connected to the opening 106 and, at theother (free) end 110, it is in flow alignment and communication with theupper end 118 of the vertical passageway 114. Thus, the side conduit 108is disposed between the upper housing 102 and the lower housing 104 atan angle sloping downwards from the horizontal. In a preferredembodiment, the upper and lower housings are coupled together by snapmeans 128A, 128B, or other similar coupling means. In an alternativeembodiment, upper housing 102 and lower housing 104 may be made as aunitary structure.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14A-B, a spool 122 having a middle portion 130,an upper elongated member 132, and a lower elongated member 134 movesvertically within the upper housing 102 and the vertical compartment 116of the lower housing 104. The middle portion 130 is generallycylindrical and defines a transverse opening 138 through its wall. Achannel 124 having a straight upper portion 136 and an angled lowerportion 126 is defined through a length-wise portion of the upperelongated member 132. The upper housing 102 includes a bushing 152 onits top surface, such that the bushing 152 is concentric with, anddisposed around, the channel's straight upper portion 136.

In a preferred embodiment, the straight upper portion 136 of thelength-wise channel 124 is concentric with and, as such, constitutes theupper elongated member 132. As illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 15B, thelower portion 126 of the length-wise channel 124 is angled, so that itextends radially outwards in a downward-sloping manner, such that itconnects to, and is in flow alignment and communication with, theopening 138 in the wall of the spool's middle portion 130. A first seal140, such as an O-ring, is coupled to the exterior of the middle portion130 of the spool 122 just below the point where the angled lower portion126 meets the opening 138 so as to prevent passage of the sprayablematerial from the container 17 into the opening 138 or channel 124 whenthe spool 122 is up, i.e., when the actuating mechanism is in anunactuated position (see FIGS. 14A-B). Similarly, a second seal 142(e.g., an O-ring) is coupled to the exterior of the middle portion 130of the spool 122 just above the point where the angled lower portion 126meets the opening 138 so as to prevent passage of the sprayable materialfrom the container 17 into the upper housing 102 when the spool 122 isdown, i.e., when the actuating mechanism is in an actuated position (seeFIGS. 15A-B).

The valve assembly 100 further includes a resilient member 148 to biasthe actuating mechanism, including the spool 122 towards an unactuatedposition, i.e., in an up position. In one embodiment, the resilientmember 148 is a spring that is disposed around the spool's lowerelongated member 134. In this embodiment, one end of the spring engagesan undersurface 150 of the spool's middle portion 130, and the other endengages the bottom surface 144 of the vertical compartment 116. In thismanner, the spool 122 is normally spring-loaded towards an unactuatedposition, and its vertical movement is restricted as determined, e.g.,by the properties of the spring.

Embodiments of the invention include a guiding mechanism to ensure that,in an actuated position, the openings 106 and 138 line up, so that theside conduit 108 and the angled lower portion 126 of the channel 124 arein flow alignment and communication. This, in effect, requires that thespool 122 be prevented from twisting, or rotating around itslongitudinal axis. In one embodiment, this is achieved by including, inthe bottom surface 144 of the vertical compartment 116, an aperture 146having generally a non-circular shape. In addition, the spool's lowerelongated member 134 has a cross-section in the shape of the aperture146 and rides within the aperture. Thus, in the example shown in FIG.14C, the aperture 146 is in the shape of a plus sign, although any othernon-circular geometry may also be used. In operation, the lowerelongated member 134 extends through, and is engaged by, the aperture146, so that the latter guides the movement of the former.

FIG. 15A shows a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in an actuatedposition within a container 17. As depicted more clearly in FIG. 15B, adip tube 154 is inserted through a lower end 120 of the verticalpassageway 114 such that an upper portion of the dip tube is housedwithin the vertical passageway 114, and the upper end 156 of the diptube is disposed adjacent and in flow alignment and communication withthe free end 110 of the side conduit 108.

In operation, to initiate spraying of the texture material, the upperelongated member 132 of the spool 122 is depressed until the openings106 and 138 are aligned, and the side conduit 108 and angled lowerportion 126 are parallel and in flow communication. The guidingmechanism described above ensures that the spool 122 is lowered withouttwisting. Once the openings 106 and 138 are aligned, the propellantwithin the container 17 forces the texture material through the bottomopening of the dip tube 154, up through the dip tube and the sideconduit 108, and out of the container through the angled lower portion126 and the upper straight portion 136 of the channel 124. As was notedwith respect to the embodiments previously described, the heavy andparticulate texture material may be a variety of sprayable materials,including viscous materials or materials having large particulates, suchas stucco. To terminate spraying of the texture material, the upperelongated member is released, at which time the resilient member 148forces the spool 122 upwards and towards the unactuated position, wherethe openings 106 and 138 are no longer aligned.

Although embodiments shown in FIGS. 12-15 depict a valve assembly thatis placed near the top of container, the invention may be practiced byplacing the valve assembly at substantially any point between the topand bottom of the container. This flexibility in placement of the valveassembly is made possible because the side-feeding feature of theinvention, in combination with the side-fitting dip tube, allowselimination of the gasket that is required by traditional aerosol spraycans, and yet provides for uptake of the texture material from thebottom of the can.

Nevertheless, placement of the valve assembly near the top of thecontainer may be desirable, and preferred. For example, such placementprovides for a much simpler and faster assembly, as well as a reductionin the amount of gas that is lost. In addition, placement of the diptube on the side eliminates the need to build different sizes of valveassemblies to fit a range of container sizes. In effect, the inventionallows for production of a single size of the valve assembly, whereindip tubes of various lengths can be used according to the intendedcontainer size. As such, the invention also provides a reduction in sizeand costs associated with the use of a multiplicity of container sizes.

As shown in FIG. 16A, the lower housing 104 may include two (or more)vertical passageways 114A, 114B. The passageways may be situated side byside, and in various orientations. Thus, FIG. 16A shows passageways 114Aand 114B oriented in one direction, while FIG. 16B shows passageways114C and 114D, oriented about 90 degrees from the position depicted inFIG. 16A. It should be understood that FIGS. 16A and 16B depictillustrative examples only, and that the vertical passageways may haveany other orientation within the lower housing 104. In addition, while,in a preferred embodiment, each of the vertical passageways 114A-114Dhas a circular cross section, the present invention may also bepracticed with these passageways having non-circular cross sections.

FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in an actuatedposition within the container 17, wherein a lower housing 104 accordingto FIG. 16B has been employed for illustrative purposes. Here, a firstdip tube 154 is inserted through a lower end 120A of the first verticalpassageway 114C such that an upper portion of the dip tube is housedwithin the first vertical passageway 114C, and the upper end of the diptube is disposed adjacent and in flow alignment and communication withthe free end 110 of the side conduit 108. The lower end 155 of the firstdip tube 154 extends generally downwards and is directly incontact/communication with the interior of the container 17.

Similarly, a second dip tube 254 is inserted through a lower end 120B ofthe second vertical passageway 114D such that an upper portion of thedip tube is housed within the second vertical passageway 114D, and theupper end of the dip tube is disposed adjacent and in flow alignment andcommunication with the free end 110 of the side conduit 108. Here,however, the lower end 255 of the second dip tube 254 is connected to astorage member, such as a sack or a pouch, 200, which is containedwithin the container 17.

The above configuration allows for two different materials, or twoportions (or fractions) of the same material, to be sprayed out of thesame container. Thus, in operation, to initiate spraying, the upperelongated member 132 of the spool 122 is depressed, as before, until theopenings 106 and 138 are aligned, and the side conduit 108 and angledlower portion 126 are parallel and in flow communication. The guidingmechanism described above ensures that the spool 122 is lowered withouttwisting. Once the openings 106 and 138 are aligned, the propellantwithin the container 17 forces material through the bottom openings ofthe first dip tube 154 and second dip tube 254, up through therespective dip tubes and the side conduit 108, and out of the containerthrough the angled lower portion 126 and the upper straight portion 136of the channel 124.

The storage member 200 connected to the second dip tube 254 may includeits own propellant. Thus, compressed gasses functioning as propellantsmay be introduced into the container 17 and storage member 200 by, e.g.,undercapping the propellant into the container (i.e., filling thecontainer with the propellant and then sealing it quickly) and/orfilling the storage member 200 and the container 17 with propellantthrough the valve mechanism atop the container.

As was noted with respect to the embodiments previously described, theheavy and particulate texture material may be a variety of sprayablematerials, including viscous materials or materials having largeparticulates, such as stucco. In addition, the container 17 may befilled with an oil-based material having a first color, while thestorage member 200 is filled with a water-based material having a secondcolor. In this way, when the actuating mechanism is operated, the twomaterials are sprayed without mixing, thereby creating separate colorpatterns on the sprayed area. Moreover, the container may be filled witha resin, while the storage member is filled with a catalyst, or thecontainer may be filled with a urethane-type product (such as, e.g.,plastic or rubber), while the storage member is filled with a blowingagent (such as, e.g., water or a hydrocarbon material).

It is noted that the relative lengths of the dip tubes shown in FIG. 17are for illustrative purposes only, and either dip tube may be ofvarious lengths, depending, e.g., on the overall dimensions of thecontainer 17, the dimensions of the storage member 200, etc. Inaddition, the diameter of each of the dip tubes may be selected based,e.g., on the material(s) being sprayed. Finally, the invention describedherein may be used to spray more than two (fractions of) materials froma single container by including multiple vertical passageways, diptubes, and storage members.

In FIG. 18, a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly including a siderelease tube 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Inthis embodiment, the valve assembly includes a side release tube 300which is attached to the actuator 302. The side release tube 300 isdisposed partly inside the container and may be parallel with the diptube 304. The internal portion of the side release tube extends to toplayer of gas 306 above the sprayable material 308 inside the container,without touching the material. The side release tube 300 extends throughthe top of the container and continues externally to the actuator 302.The side release tube 300 provides a pathway for gas 306 in thecontainer to enter from an opening 310 on the lower portion of the siderelease tube 300 and then reach and exit from the actuator 302. When theactuator 302 is depressed, the sprayable material 308 is released at thesame time that the gas 306 is released through the side release tube300. The additional gas 306 is released separately and not brought intocontact with the sprayable material 308 until the gas 306 enters theactuator 302 where the gas 306 exits with the sprayable material 308.The additional gas 306 hits the sprayable material 308 as the materialexits the actuator 302 and thus provides an added level atomization tothe dispensed material.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be understood that many modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claimsare intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the truescope and spirit of the present invention.

The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered inall respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than theforegoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embracedtherein.

1. A valve assembly for use in an aerosol system, said valve assemblycomprising: an upper housing defining a first opening through theperiphery thereof; a side conduit having a free end, and an endconnected to said first opening at an angle sloping downward from thehorizontal; a lower housing divided into a first vertical passageway forreceiving a first dip tube, a second vertical passageway for receiving asecond dip tube, and a vertical compartment, wherein each of said firstand second passageways has an upper end and a lower end and said upperends are in flow alignment with the free end of the side conduit so asto provide flow communication between the lower end of each saidpassageway and said first opening; an actuating mechanism having a spooldefining a length-wise channel through a portion thereof, wherein saidspool is configured to move vertically within said upper housing andsaid vertical compartment, and wherein a lower portion of said channelis angled so as to be in flow alignment with said conduit through saidfirst opening when the actuating mechanism is in an actuated position,thereby allowing a sprayable material to flow through at least one ofsaid passageways and said conduit and channel; and a side release tubeattached to the actuating mechanism, the side release tube having anupper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion includes anopening and the upper portion and lower portion provide flowcommunication from the opening to the actuating mechanism.
 2. The valveassembly of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the side release tubeis positioned inside the container and the upper portion of the siderelease tube is positioned outside of the container, the upper portionbeing attached to the actuating mechanism.
 3. The valve assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the opening of the side release tube is positionedabove the sprayable material without contact with the sprayablematerial.
 4. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the side releasetube provides flow communication of the gas from the inside of thecontainer to the actuating mechanism.
 5. The valve assembly of claim 1,wherein the gas is released through the side release tube to provideadded atomization to the sprayable material as the sprayable materialexits the actuating mechanism.
 6. The valve assembly of claim 5, whereinthe gas does not contact the sprayable material until the sprayablematerial is exiting the actuating mechanism.
 7. The valve assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the gas is released at the same time as the sprayablematerial when the actuating mechanism is depressed.
 8. The valveassembly of claim 1, wherein for each of the first and second dip tubes,an upper portion of the dip tube is housed by its respective verticalpassageway such that an upper end of the dip tube is disposed adjacentand in flow communication with the free end of the side conduit.
 9. Thevalve assembly of claim 8, wherein the lower end of the first dip tubeis in direct communication with a first fraction of sprayable materialhoused within an aerosol container, and the lower end of the second diptube is connected to a storage member within the aerosol container, thestorage member housing a second fraction of sprayable material.
 10. Thevalve assembly of claim 9, wherein the first and second fractions areportions of the same material.
 11. The valve assembly of claim 9,wherein the first and second fractions are portions of differentmaterials.
 12. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein in the actuatedposition, the angled lower portion of the channel is parallel to theconduit.
 13. The valve assembly of claim 1 further including resilientmeans to bias the actuating mechanism towards an unactuated position,the resilient means engaging an undersurface of the spool's middleportion.
 14. An aerosol system for applying sprayable materialcomprising: a container holding a gas and sprayable material, whereinthe gas is positioned over the sprayable material; and a valve assemblyattached to the container comprising an upper housing defining a firstopening through the periphery thereof, a side conduit having a free end,and an end connected to said first opening at an angle sloping downwardfrom the horizontal, a lower housing divided into a first verticalpassageway for receiving a first dip tube, a second vertical passagewayfor receiving a second dip tube, and a vertical compartment, whereineach of said first and second passageways has an upper end and a lowerend and said upper ends are in flow alignment with the free end of theside conduit so as to provide flow communication between the lower endof each said passageway and said first opening, an actuating mechanismhaving a spool defining a length-wise channel through a portion thereof,wherein said spool is configured to move vertically within said upperhousing and said vertical compartment, and wherein a lower portion ofsaid channel is angled so as to be in flow alignment with said conduitthrough said first opening when the actuating mechanism is in anactuated position, thereby allowing a sprayable material to flow throughat least one of said passageways and said conduit and channel, and aside release tube attached to the actuating mechanism, the side releasetube having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lowerportion includes an opening and the upper portion and lower portionprovide flow communication from the opening to the actuating mechanism.15. The system of claim 14, wherein the lower portion of the siderelease tube is positioned inside the container and the upper portion ofthe side release tube is positioned outside of the container, the upperportion being attached to the actuating mechanism.
 16. The system ofclaim 14, wherein the opening of the side release tube is positionedabove the sprayable material without contact with the sprayablematerial.
 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the side release tubeprovides flow communication of the gas from the inside of the containerto the actuating mechanism.
 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the gasis released through the side release tube to provide added atomizationto the sprayable material as the sprayable material exits the actuatingmechanism.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the gas does not contactthe sprayable material until the sprayable material is exiting theactuating mechanism.
 20. They system of claim 14, wherein the gas isreleased at the same time as the sprayable material when the actuatingmechanism is depressed.